AN: Hello there! So this chapter is basically 'to get to the mom, you gotta get to the kids'. I mean that as respectfully as possible (and in a platonic way when it comes to the daughters)
Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it made me feel some things. I hope that you all, also feel some things. :)
Summary:
'I will turn my friends to gold
For the treasury to hold
Them safely while they dream' - Mother Falcon-Alligator Teeth
Floating in the void, the abyss looked back at Fauna. Though she couldn't see where she was, she knew, from the icy touch alone, that a body of water consumed her readily. The only light she could see came from above; a pinprick that illuminated her descent. Too sluggish to swim, she fell deeper into the pit, hearing her heartbeat race in her ears. Fear was deep-rooted in her veins, a fear that could not be burned away by the angry fires lit within. She knew this would happen, that the fever and her drowning would bring back nightmares with force.
All she could do was ride it out.
All she could do was endure.
Bubbles escaped her lips as she tried to shift her mind from the choking horror consuming her, but nothing worked. Monumental despair could not be quelled by distraction alone. That hateful fire that burned so brightly for so long simply vanished into the water and Fauna clutched her chest in hopes that it would stay.
There was nothing she could do but close her eyes and hope that her nightmare could be broken by the waking world.
Silence echoed within the cavernous hell of water, swallowing her like it swallowed her mother so long ago. Snuffing out one generation after the other. The nature of this land.
Light began to play over Fauna's eyelids as they shot open, assaulted by a fracturing cascade of white. Dull snapping sounds zipped above her before something lunged.
Unable to move, Fauna felt her leg caught in its claws, ripping into her skin with impossible strength. Every last bit of air escaped her lungs as the creature began to pull, sending agony shooting through her dying body, adding pain on top of torture. Even within her mind, she was never safe from the litany of monsters that threatened to break her down.
As she began to fade, Fauna felt the world turn, her descent into the water halted into an ascent as the creature began to yank her up towards the minute light filtering from above. As her arms fanned out beside her, Fauna let the pain keep her grounded through her travels till the light grew harsher, forcing her up through the waves of her nightmare, dragged slowly onto the shore.
Ice burned along her back as she tried to get her bearings, but such a quick and dizzying journey left her reeling, even more so within her nightmares; a place of no power.
The claws finally released Fauna's leg, and with nothing to stem the wound, blood began to flow on a patch of snow below her, drinking in what was almost dead. She could still feel the water in her lungs, even when she coughed to try and dislodge it. The river held its prey just as tightly as those talons previously did, like a scar that refused to heal.
The world was blurry as if still submerged, but with the fire in her eyes rekindling, Fauna sat up quickly, refusing to give in. Soggy tendrils of blood-red hair clung to her face as she braced herself on the snow, looking around to see nothing but a landscape of trees; laughing eyes thick with black feathers stared from the branches. Upset waters behind her sloshed against mud; the river still spoke to her but she tuned it out, unwilling to give the body of water more time than it had taken.
Moving her leg, Fauna felt the pain shoot up her body, pulling her attention away from the world around her, focusing on the injury that bled fresh from such rough handling.
A lone handkerchief, ringed with black floral embroidery sat on her wound, soaking up the blood so easily spilt, covering vicious slashes with white fabric. Hesitantly, Fauna reached her hand out, passing her shaking fingers on the cloth as the handkerchief bloomed with fresh rivulets of red. A bundle of twigs cracked in the shadow of the trees, jolting Fauna's attention forward to see a cream-coloured dress scrap hanging off a thorny vine that darted between the forest.
With another cough, Fauna expelled water from her lungs onto the handkerchief in front of her. She continued coughing and didn't stop till each drop of water from her chest began to splatter the ground below her with blood. With each heavy breath, she choked, feeling something solid rise through her chest before puncturing through the flesh and bone like a small blade fighting its way through the viscera.
With trembling fingers, Fauna paws at the bleeding skin over her heart, pinching a sharp stick jutting through the tissue, fighting the confusing fright to set the object free.
Tearing the skin away, she wrenched the item out with a sickening crack, holding it in front of her as the blood ran down her shirt.
A black feather, slick with menacing red, twirled between her fingers.
A crow's feather.
Darting upright in her bed, Fauna gulped down air as she attempted to force down a steadily rising panic. Her hands searched the skin around her chest, examining the area for wounds but found nothing, just a racing pulse and unmarred flesh. Pain reasserted herself as she grimaced, grounding her in legitimate reality, far away from the hellscape of her mind. Her body was still broken, but her life was still intact; back in the small room she'd come to know far too well.
Get ahold of yourself. It's just a dream.
And she agreed, calming herself with tight control so as not to let any more stray emotions warp her senses. Fevers tended to bring those paralysing moments and though she had grown accustomed to the dismay they brought, they had yet to grow any easier with time.
"Whatever dream you were having was definitely the worst one so far," came a voice from Fauna's side, but without any fire lighting her anger, the human sat still.
Frozen.
Daniela was perched on a chair, jotting down notes in a little journal, glancing up from a few words to smile genuinely at Fauna with just a touch of concern. Those grey dancing eyes were still full of joy but muted harshly from seeing Fauna's disturbed expression. The human in question didn't speak, unable to form words still lodged in her throat. With the little clarity of mind she had, Fauna turned her gaze to the window as morning sunlight streamed through. Birdsong and heavy wind licked against the glass, drowning out the nightmare's hold with welcome distractions.
"Good news, though," Daniela continued, stuffing her pen into the book's middle before closing the pages, "that pesky fever's gone! Bad news, you don't look so good," holding the book in her gloved hands, Daniela tapped a little melody on the cover, "Do you…wanna talk about it?"
Taking a deep breath, Fauna looked away from Daniela, shaking her head. She tried to summon any kind of raging emotion but it was all brushed away by the fear still latching onto her; the bad dream wrapped around her lungs, stealing every word and piece of anger. Though Cassandra's fight left her wary of persons entering her room, there was no snark or hate coiling in her gut.
There was nothing.
Fauna's pride was great indeed, but the thought of being alone to stomach her thoughts was a frightening prospect. It was a shameful part of her behaviour, but one she would begrudgingly accept, if only to dispel the rampant dread in her mind. Fauna was never keen on having new people in her life but the strangest of the Dimitrescu daughters was a hard one to keep out.
Especially since she always just let herself in with reckless abandon.
Chewing her bloodied lip, Daniela scooted her chair forward, being careful as to not spook the human. She seemed freaked out enough.
"Were you taking notes on me, for the Cadou?" Fauna whispers, tensing and calming her hands in her lap. Like wisps of wind, her voice leaves her without warrant.
Daniela doesn't reply at first as she places the book by Fauna, flipping open the pages to the newest passage. She skims the page with her finger before tapping on a half-finished line.
"Nooooo…Mom's dealing with your Cadou situation, not me," Daniela finally says, drawing out her words with care, "I was actually trying to help…", she leans her head down to catch Fauna's hollow gaze, "Whenever I have a bad dream, I write things down and change the ending. Since I don't know you very well, I just wrote any old thing down and hoped for the best."
The youngest child smiles brightly as if her bloody lips added to her whimsy, but the smile doesn't last for long. Her emotions flicker like a candle's wick, falling to bittersweetness, "Did it work?"
Fauna sighs, reaching up to cup her face in her hands before mumbling a quiet, "No."
Picking up the pen again, Daniela taps the page with the nib, leaning forward to try and catch anything Fauna said next. But the human doesn't respond further. Her only movement is to allow her hands to pass down her jaw and fiddle with her chest again; no fire was to be found in those copper-blue eyes, only defeat.
The toy was broken, like glass, shattered on the ground.
Fauna remains in her own world, feeling remarkably distant from the very air she breathed. Only the dying fireplace had things to say, filling in the noise with quiet popping. A cold pressure touches Fauna's forearm, and were she of different health, Fauna would have reacted. Instead, she let the sensation dig into her skin and pull her towards the offending source. Daniela prodded Fauna with her pen gently, as one would poke a sleeping dog without any fear of danger.
Not that an immortal creature like her had anything to be worried about.
"Can you write down some of the things you dreamt about?" the youngest Dimitrescu says softly, hiding the sharpness of her normal joy with a sobered look.
Any distraction was welcome at that juncture, much to the dismay of the anger simmering in Fauna's head. She would play Daniela's stupid games if that's what it took to forget the nightmare. Plucking the pen from Daniela's gloved fingers, Fauna grabbed the book and jotted down a few notes of what disrupted her so, making sure to neglect the handkerchief or the dress scrap in her musings. Those were things best left to roam around in her own head and not in the mind of one so closely connected to the Lady herself.
As Fauna wrote in silence, Daniela stared at each word carefully, spotting a sentence in spidery handwriting that irked her just a little. A telling phrase that said more than the ink let on.
"Looks like Mother Miranda's visit wasn't just for kicks today," Daniela said, leaning back in her chair to stretch her arms out, "Yea, she kind of showed up without a call, which freaked mom out," she giggles, the first one in a while, "and then she took off again. Well, not before she poked you in the chest…"
Mother Miranda.
It was a name Fauna had heard once and seen many other times written in another book of clinical details. Mother Miranda, the progenitor of the Cadou, the source of the power Fauna wished to have. Even at the heavy costs she currently bore. Tossing the pen down, Fauna's hand went back to her chest, feeling around once more for something that wasn't there. Spotting Fauna's fidgeting again, Daniela stole the book back and snapped it closed. A strange look overcomes the youngest Dimitrescu once more as she waves her hand to catch the human's attention. With her free hand, Daniela jams her gloved finger between her green pendant, lifting the jewellery slightly to show a scar. She gulps, showing weakness often chided but never heeded.
"I don't remember much but one of my earliest memories was crows, too. Mom says you get that dream when Mother Miranda chooses a spot for the Cadou," Daniela pauses, moving the necklace back over her scar, "All of us went through it and we're ok…so you should be ok too."
It was false hope but it was hope nonetheless.
And in the din of silence, Fauna cracked a small, tired smile from the reassurance as her hand fell from her chest, leaving alone what would be pondered on in the future. This was the fate she chose, after all.
Nothing worth anything was easy to get.
Daniela's lips curve upwards as she sees Fauna's reaction, joyful once more that her toy began to repair itself. Humans were fragile but this one seemed to be made from steel, not glass. All she needed was a fire in her forge and the metal tempered itself in time.
Even with the cracks so easily seen in Fauna, she welded them back with trembling strength.
With the book in hand, Daniela leaned back once more, swinging her boots to rest on the bed; a cardinal sin to all Dimitrescus but one the youngest broke with pride.
"Ready to seize the day, Makeup?" Daniela chirped, drumming her fingers on the little book once more.
She was certainly a friendly little demon, but much like Lady Dimitrescu's enchanting poison, Fauna still had a tinge of wariness creeping into the back of her mind.
If you sleep in a monster's mouth, you'll get bitten.
Or you'll be safe in its jaws.
The deliberations in Fauna's head certainly didn't help her current situation, and with a small groan, Fauna banished the thoughts to focus on the present.
Waiting with anticipation, Daniela stared holes into Fauna's skull as she watched the human shift carefully off the bed. A scarred, tan hand pulled away the sheets, smoothing down the maroon dress the youngest child was more than happy to see. Daniela gave a delighted squeal as she saw the fabric tumble down Fauna's legs much like a girl staring at a porcelain doll through a shop window.
Fauna rolled her eyes at the reaction as her fingers skated over the quilt, once in investigation and another few times in muted panic.
"Where's my knife?" Fauna growled through gritted teeth, shooting an accusatory stare at Daniela.
At the sight of aggression, Daniela threw her hands up defensively, before pointing the book towards the bathroom, "Cassie and I were on rotation to stare at you! Mom's orders!" she double-takes between Fauna and the bathroom door, "She has a thing for being clean so she put your knife in the bathroom cause it stank real bad. Don't get me wrong, we love blood but Cassie's real particular with how rotten it gets."
Throughout the sputtering monologue, Fauna glared at Daniela before her anger resigned from fatigue.
No. GET ANGRY!
But the energy so often summoned in times like this was gone, for now, leaving Fauna's thoughts to ricochet without a path.
Nodding, Fauna lifted herself off the bed, breathing deeply as her leg touched the ground. From her split lip to her wounded arms, every part of her threatened to spill with blood but that pain was harnessed and turned into action.
Grainy to the touch, a wooden pole pressed against Fauna's hip, held out by Daniela as she tutted mischievously, "Don't be a hero, we can't have you losing that leg now, can we?"
The pain brought clarity, but unfortunately, Daniela was right. Any more rough-housing with her leg could mean a permanent problem. Something that would surely affect her chances with the Cadou.
Don't risk your ascension. Be smart.
Leaning, Fauna gripped the cane before she began to walk to the bathroom; flies hovered around her shoulders as she did, buzzing animatedly.
As she opened the bathroom door, Fauna heard rhythmic footsteps behind her as she was tailed by the youngest daughter. A happening that she had to grow accustomed to at some point, regardless of how tense it made her.
Good intentions, bad execution. At least you have a friend in these halls.
A friend. Fauna scoffed at the idea as she made her way to the sink with Daniela in tow, observing the slight change in decor with confusion.
For one, her bloody, father-killing clothes were finally gone and with it, the noxious odour that plagued the bathroom. Daniela didn't let that funny look go unnoticed.
"Oh, I think you know who threw that out," she grinned, leaning into Fauna's personal space to gently nudge her with her elbow, "If you didn't figure it out, it was Cassie."
Fauna had indeed figured it out but she let Daniela talk anyway. The constant chatter helped to drown out the battling whispers in her head, which was a necessary evil.
Looks like she wouldn't be stitching the knife flap on her boots considering they were long gone now. It didn't bother Fauna as much as she thought it would. Cassandra's tattered handkerchief flashed in her mind and she dispelled the image with frustration.
You have meaningful things to repair now. Destruction and creation don't have to go hand in hand.
Pressing her lips together, Fauna let her conscience flock to the forefront of her mind before turning back to her current task. To become a monster, she needed to get rid of those musings, but the longer she stayed in the castle, the longer they lingered.
No more thinking.
Focusing, Fauna looked to the countertop, spying her beloved knife in its blood-crusted holster. It definitely needed a proper cleaning and with careful hands, the human picked up her tools and got to work.
Placing her elbows on the counter, Daniela watched Fauna scrub and soak the knife holder in scented soap, yanking the blade out to cleanse it of its latest murder. As the brownish-red water flowed down the drain, a strange expression came over Fauna; furrowed red brows but with apprehension.
A floral handkerchief was pinched out of the bottom of the holster, held with conflict but not with hate. Deep bloodstains claimed the fabric in stubborn stains, ringing around the black flowers like mud. Daniela recognized this piece of her home, and through the white noise of running water, she continued observing Fauna as she plugged the drain, letting the item soak in soap.
With no more water to cut their conversation, Daniela made the first step.
"Mom isn't as bad as she acts, y'know," she says wistfully, stretching out her leather fingers to poke the drifting handkerchief, "I think this proves it. Yea, she can be really mean but she wasn't always like this," Daniela closes her eyes for a moment, as if tasting memories in her mouth, "Once upon a time, she was nice all the time, then the glassmaker-"
Words build in the normally talkative woman but abruptly stop. Though she lacked boundaries, Daniela still had her difficulties; Fauna could see the hesitation clearly and with clarity, she understood.
Some things were too much to discuss, no matter how socially open you were.
"Don't worry about it," Fauna spoke up, shaking the water droplets off her hands as she snatched up a towel to wipe her knife, "and yes, your mother is a bitch but…" she looks at the handkerchief floating in the suds, remembering the carriage, the piano, the roundabout apology with disquiet, "I can't overlook the good parts of her. Even if she's unbearable."
With a small giggle, Daniela gently reaches out, prodding Fauna's arm; watching her tense before she turns to stare daggers at the youngest Dimitrescu.
But the anger was fabricated, smothered by the rare peaceful moment within the castle. It broke through Fauna, softening her shell minutely, like the day Daniela gave her the dress.
In uncommon playfulness, Fauna retaliated, poking Daniela in the shoulder as she gave a small smirk, "An eye for an eye."
Unfortunately for Fauna, her actions led to consequences.
Like glittering opals, Daniela's eyes lit with delight as she flung herself at Fauna, trapping the human in a bear hug. At first, Fauna struggled, trying to break free, but her arms were pinned to her side as the youngest child gripped her tightly.
"I KNEW YOU'D BE FUN!" Daniela squealed, causing Fauna to grimace from the sharp noise.
GET HER OFF OF YOU NOW!
But Fauna squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again to dispel the sudden rage. The far too casual daughter of Lady Dimitrescu was annoying, but her actions didn't deserve punishment. With the way she constantly dogged Fauna, it set off a thought in her head early on. The same woman that stabbed her leg and delivered her like a parcel of meat, the same one that giggled at the sight of blood.
That same woman seemed…lonely.
And though Yasen was a good brother in all the ways he tried to be, he couldn't protect Fauna from feeling the same. She was supposed to be cold-blooded and yet, she understood the monsters snapping at her heels more than she was willing to confess. A sharp sting of shame ran through Fauna's body, but she relaxed into the jostling hug.
If a monster can be so human, then so can you.
Wiggling as much as she could, Fauna broke free of Daniela's hug and the thought bounced freely in her head. She hoped the Cadou could see to that, but the humanity blossoming yet left derelict in her soul sullenly disagreed.
With a playfully disappointed murmur, Daniela stepped away from the human, showing off her bloody teeth with a delighted grin.
"Well, I guess we'll work on the hugs, huh?" she teased as she haphazardly stuffed the book back in her cloak, ripping the seam open slightly, "Damnit, these pockets are way too small to fit anything."
Fauna observed the clumsy behaviour, hiding a smile as she thought of her childhood dress, torn at the sleeve only to be repaired by practised hands.
Shut up and don't say it.
But at this point, Fauna had regrettably grown used to ignoring the dark thoughts swirling in her head, even though she often sought its power. However, at this moment, compassion outweighed cruelty.
For now.
But she knew those toxic words were empty; shamefully empty but this shame didn't sting as harshly.
"I'm pretty handy with a needle and thread," Fauna offered as she appraised the torn cloak with skilled eyes, "It shouldn't take long to patch that up."
From the moment Fauna opened her mouth, Daniela's smile seemed to grow wider and wider with each clipped word. A Cheshire grin stretched that black lipstick and were Daniela as vicious as her mother, she would have looked predatory.
"Oh! I know!" Daniela chittered as she began to walk backwards out of the bathroom, "Cassie showed me what you could do!" as Daniela disappeared through the door, only her hand was left jutting out in punctuation, "Thanks by the way, for helping her."
The last sentence bubbled against Fauna's ears as she gritted her teeth at the sincerity. Hearing praises was never easy, especially when it came to her softer skills. But the compliment still pierced through her shell, forcing a quick smile to show on her face before it was gone.
Grabbing the cane, Fauna was about to move away from the bathroom before she caught the knife looking back at her from the countertop. The holster was still soggy but she could hold it in her hand just in case.
"Faaaaaaunaaaa!" Daniela sang as she walked around her room, "I found your sewing kit, Faaaaaunaaa!"
She said her name like a bird learning to tweet, musical and blundering; an apt behaviour for one so strange.
Fauna exhaled heavily as she watched the knife, tensing her fist around the cane. Her nature was to kill. Her nature was to fight. Her nature was to cling to pain, promises and horrible memories.
Your nature is also to love, even in chaos.
Fauna's cane moved before her mind could protest as she stepped her way out of the bathroom, leaving behind the piece of her that forged a monster in this land.
Daniela zipped around the room on the backs of blowflies, stuffing the sewing kit into her already stressed pocket with little care.
Even in the dim candlelight, the woman brought brightness to the room.
Fauna smiled as the bitter nightmarish poison left her system. It would be back when she closed her eyes, but for now, at this moment, perhaps she could enjoy the tranquillity of absurdity.
"Can't you go any faster?" Daniela whined, twirling around to spread her shawl to the hallway paintings.
Against her reserved ways, Fauna found herself following the peppy bugwoman down the dreaded corridors of Castle Dimitrescu, blanketed by shadows but brought alive by the ever-moving Daniela.
Only a muffled groan escaped Fauna's lips as she slowed her pace, defiantly going against Daniela's protests. Just like her mother, Daniela seemed to lack patience; Lady Dimitrescu however reigned in what her daughter chose to flaunt.
Purely impulsive.
Summoning her precious bugs, Daniela whirled around with excessive speed, almost knocking over a statue before her swarm brought her in front of Fauna. She pouted, crossing her arms as she hovered to block the human's path. A lock of reddish hair escaped the confines of her hood causing her to flick her head to move it.
More hair fell down and the pout grew to comical proportions.
Staring blankly at Daniela, Fauna gave a disapproving look as she glanced at her cane, then back to the youngest Dimitrescu; a silent hint that spoke volumes.
"You seriously can't expect me to run after you." Fauna quipped, leaning to the side slightly to look down the seemingly endless corridor.
After the sewing kit was retrieved, Daniela became flighty, begging Fauna to follow her. Under other circumstances, such behaviour would lead to a trap but foolishness was thrumming in Fauna's blood that morning. Daniela's poison was a subtle one that brought laughter and sleep before death could set in.
It would be almost medicinal if she weren't a bloodsucking, unhinged fiend.
And before Fauna could let the violent anger within her burst, she trailed after the bubbly woman, weaponless, defenceless and purposeless.
There was a first time for everything but for her knife, it was the second.
Daniela hummed in thought as she stepped backwards, looking up at the ceiling before she clicked her tongue to end her thinking.
"I have an idea, but uh," she muttered, staring at the wound still healing on Fauna's leg, "it's dumb and I doubt you'd like it," she gives a mischievous smirk, "you gotta trust me for this one."
Trust.
The last time Fauna trusted a Dimitrescu, she almost had her head snapped off. The castle was as inhospitable as its hosts, but this one, in particular, proved to have some decency.
Even if she was a blubbering, excitable murderer.
Give her a chance.
To kill you? You don't know when she'll turn on you, and she will, just like her mother.
One hateful thought slipped through the barrier and Fauna stepped backwards, feeling uncomfortable now that she stupidly left her knife behind. The sickle still hung proudly at Daniela's side and whether she was friendly or not, she still had the upper hand.
Beauty was a poison to corrode one's guard but so was affability, especially in a place like this.
Everything Fauna did was a contradiction, following her nature and nurture to the crossroads she ran through without proper logic.
A frown tugged Daniela's happiness down as she recognized that look from her time in the kitchen. Guarded and wary once more, even after such friendly banter. The human was a strange mix of things and though hope was ineffective, Daniela still hoped that the brighter side of Fauna would shine through again.
It was much more fun when she had someone to play with that actually wanted to join in.
"Please?" the youngest Dimitrescu asked gently, lighting those grey eyes with wishes, "Just hear me out."
Spoken with practice, the words were eerily genuine, as if this plea was said before, many times to people who didn't listen. The loneliness seeped through each syllable; a youngest child left to her own devices far too often.
If you want to die so badly, then go. Hear her out and get ripped apart again. The river will always wait for you if these are the choices you make.
Chilling her brazen heart, the thought of the river resurfaced, the dream, the darkness, the phantom corpse floating with her to the bottom.
Left alone to die.
"Hey, come back here, I'm not done with you," Daniela joked, poking Fauna in the arm once more to pull her from the abyss. "Will you trust me or not?"
Breathing deeply, Fauna regained her focus on Daniela, gritting her teeth as she fought the nasty images swirling in her head.
"It depends on what you're going to do," Fauna says with suspicion lingering in her tone, "If you're planning on dragging me again, then I might as well fuck off."
She allowed her voice to carry a nip to each word, warning Daniela but willing to hear her out.
Bugs fluttered around Fauna, landing on her shoulder and in her hair. Were she a squeamish person, those insects would be flattened against her palm. They trilled against her ear as if personifying Daniela's emotions in each blowfly.
The youngest child stared at Fauna before giving off her trademark smirk, "How do you feel about flying?"
Fauna blinked, unable to hide the intrigue showing plainly on her face. The sentence caught her in sudden shock, holding her voice in its grasp. In her rare good dreams, she sifted through clouds during a full moon, circling around a starry night as she pelted towards nothing in particular.
Dreams of freedom she couldn't reach now offered to her on a silver platter.
Before her ferocious mind could bite in negativity, the human did something new.
Her voice filled to the brim with excitement as she grinned, ignoring the sharp pain tearing through her lip.
"I've always wanted to fly."
It was a straightforward response, but the unbridled joy spilling through Fauna matched Daniela's energy, breaking through the sullen shell that plagued the human's interactions.
"Ok, Ok, fantastic!" Daniela chuckled as she floated carefully behind Fauna, "You gotta trust me though, I'm gonna hug you again real tight ."
Great. Just great.
There were pros and cons to everything it seemed but with one deep sigh, Fauna relinquished her withdrawn state for the promise of flight.
Leather gloves snaked around Fauna's waist as Daniela gripped the human with impossible strength, squeezing her ribs a little too hard. Reaching for the cane, Daniela snagged it and held it close against them both.
"Too TIGHT!" Fauna yelped as the youngest child rested her head against the human's shoulder, giggling.
"It's gotta be this way or else you'll fall and be strawberry jam on the floor," Daniela replies a little too loudly next to Fauna's ear, "Sounds tasty but today's not a jam day," with a grin, Daniela sends her bugs skittering into the air as they both began to hover, "AND WE'RE OFF!"
Lifting off the ground, Fauna marvelled at the weightlessness, feeling less like the mangy dog Lady Dimitrescu hoisted so many days ago.
She felt like a bird, uncaged and unclipped for the first time in a while.
Pelting forward, Daniela held onto Fauna as they both zipped around the hallways, sending a stream of deep red and light red hair billowing in the man-made breeze. The world blurred around them both, flinging off Daniela's hood from the sheer speed. Though the wind bit at Fauna's eyes, she couldn't bear to close them as an ecstatic smile spread across her face. Daniela howled with laughter as she ripped against the walls, pitching up to the ceiling before nearly slamming to the ground, shoving manic laughter out of Fauna.
Spinning around the tight curves of the corridors, Daniela navigated with ease, never once slowing down amidst her throng of bugs. A large, barely open door appeared quickly in the distance and with a joyful shriek, Daniela heaved her shoulder against it and burst through, twirling in the air till Fauna joined her with dizzy giggling.
Glittering crystals in the chandelier swayed from the movement as Daniela continued flying, racing through the foyer, spotting a maid with her back turned.
"BIRD STRIKE!" she yelled, manoeuvring sharply enough to flit over the maid's head, planting a solid kick to send her tumbling down. The laughter turned to cheerful roaring at the evil prank played on the innocent servant.
And though Fauna, as a fellow human, should feel sorry for the maid, she simply cackled at the monstrous practical joke, feeling the pressure build in her ribs as Daniela held her with a death grip.
Zooming past each room, the pair flung through more doors, more hallways and more gorgeous, opulent decorations till they met a stone archway leading to a compact space.
"GET READY TO THROW UP!" Daniela shouted into Fauna's ear again, causing her to wince through the dreamlike moment.
Speed met stone as the youngest bug flew dangerously through a narrow spiral staircase, spiralling upwards in several revolutions till the last landing rocketed towards them. With no warning, Daniela stopped, causing Fauna's head to jerk forward, adding to the extreme dizziness wrought upon her.
Her eyes rolled around as her head lolled forward, feeling her stomach lurch from the journey. However, a large smile never left her face as she bent forward limply, hanging on to Daniela's forearms lest she fell to the ground.
"Hey, you didn't throw up! Good job, Makeup!" Daniela said happily as her bugs reformed, stitching her legs together till they planted firmly on the ground.
Fauna lifted her head, catching her breath as she closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the gift of flight. It was pure magic in this land of monsters, a brief peace in the traumas of the castle. Not a single thought, good or bad swam through her head during her travels, and for a moment, as she regained her balance, Fauna wondered if Daniela's frantic flying was a way to escape the perilous anxieties that ran through her.
It was certainly a brilliant way to be present.
Opening her eyes, Fauna stared at the wooden door in front of them. On the old oak, a large scrap of paper was pinned to the door, coloured in with bright tones and hues. In bold letters, was one sentence with a heart above the i's.
Daniela lives here!
Releasing her grip on Fauna, the youngest Dimitrescu ensured the human was sure-footed, holding her cane in leather gloves as she shifted to Fauna's side.
"Was that fucking good or what?!" Daniela chirped, bouncing around her new-found friend with the question still vibrant in the air.
Laughing through her smile, Fauna's expression said it all as she reached out for her cane with a broken shell; joyous in ways unparalleled to her former experiences.
With the cane in hand, Fauna stood straight, smoothing back her ruffled hair as she balanced on her good leg.
"Fucking good."
The statement brought an even bigger grin to Daniela's face as she danced her way to the entrance, pushing the handle till a soft click opened the door slightly. With her index finger, she poked the wood, saying a soft boop as it slid forward.
Beckoning to the human, Daniela entered her room, listening for the triple tapping of Fauna's walk as it followed behind her.
To say Daniela's room was different from the castle would be an understatement.
Colourful rugs dotted around the stone floor as a litany of lanterns lent a soft glow to the room. Looking closer, the lanterns reflected a kaleidoscope of pink, green, purple, so many colours. Stained glass and fire all wrapped into one, hanging from the ceilings on little suspended platforms. Various black and white sketches from old storybooks were plastered to one side of the circular room, telling tales at a moment's notice; all with happy endings. The only uncluttered space in the room was a stained glass window with green and pink pigments; a story of its own spoke on the glass. Music notes poured from a black-bordered wine bottle, sparkling with sunlight that touched the room with life.
In one corner, was a desk laden with papers, pens, records and books piled high like a scholar's den. Several wooden glass cabinets sat over the desk, each with little plaques to organize the flock of papers resting comfortably in its stasis. Only one strange item parted the neat chaos of the shelves; a violin case, thick with dust, perched on top of the cabinets, hidden in plain sight, but hidden all the same.
But the thing that caught Fauna's eye the most was the bed, suspended in the rafters with a rope ladder leading up to its shaded canopy curtains, blocking the inner sanctum with sheer, light green fabric.
Moving in a slow circle, Fauna tried to take in the multitudes of items, each one speaking of fluent comforts that sparked in the barren cavern that was the castle. The scent of lavender wafted from some candles sitting by the desk, adding to the homely nature of the room.
"Do…do you like it? My room?"
The question wavered in confidence as Daniela spoke nervously, biting her lip and scraping off a bit of lipstick. Her grey eyes flitted from Fauna to one of the story pages, reeling with sudden fragility. It was pure weakness shining through the bloodthirsty daughter, something that would be condemned normally, but with Fauna…maybe…maybe…
"I like it alot." Fauna remarked with a partial whisper, shedding Daniela's fear in an instant.
With a relieved sigh, Daniela began to whirl around her room again, spreading her arms out and with her, the shawl that trailed black lace around her frame. Fauna didn't try to hide her smile anymore as the toxicity left her body. Always and forever, the anger would remain but her youth called out to the calm moment; lighting compassion in her rotten heart.
Glancing at the papers on the desk, Fauna hummed in thought, thinking of her early youth and then, to her teens.
Yasen gave a bellylaugh in her mind, flickering memories of biking, chopping wood, stealing away to the local arcade to lose themselves in modern luxuries.
A tearing sound brought Fauna back as Daniela cursed her cloak, yanking out the sewing kit and book with little regard for her clothes. It seemed as though Cassandra wasn't the only one with frayed belongings. She would patch it soon, surely, but something else barricaded her actions. Moving past Daniela, Fauna eyed the desk as she drew closer, noticing the open journals turned over to lay on their pages.
"See something you like?" Daniela called as she trailed after Fauna, crossing her arms as she leaned to sit on the desk.
Chewing the inside of her mouth, Fauna's gaze settled on a small pile of empty pages, feeling the guilt of leaving her brother behind rise up to her throat. Never asking for help, never asking for anything, self-sufficient to a fault, Fauna swallowed her pride for a split-second as copper-blue eyes bore a question to the youngest Dimitrescu.
"Can I…use some of your supplies to write a letter," she started hesitantly, "I've been here for a while. After dealing with my dad, I promised my brother I'd come back…I need to let him know I'm alright."
Like a spinning wagon wheel, the shadows of emotions spun on Daniela's face before they settled on acceptance.
"Yea, I don't mind, do you want a green pen?" Daniela snatches stationery from her desk before grabbing another, "Or red," she continues plucking pens from her desk till her gloves are full of bright tones, "maybe pink? Oooooo this one is glittery, use the glittery one!"
Fauna chuckles softly at the exuberance and reaches out to take a black pen from Daniela's fingers, signalling a disappointed groan from the youngest child.
"Booooring, but it's what you want, so go at it I guess," she says as she wanders over to her record piles, running her finger down the thin spines.
Settling at the desk, Fauna pulls out a plush chair, sinking into the emerald green pillows as she takes an empty page to finally contact her brother.
While Fauna scratched out an awkward greeting, Daniela flutters around the room, unseen by the human who was preoccupied with her writing.
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Music wafted through the cluttered room, spinning old vinyl notes from the record player squeezed between the storybooks. Softly, Daniela sang along with the song as she summoned her bugs to lift her up to the lanterns, waltzing with herself in the stained glass glow.
Tapping her pen on the page, Fauna tried to think of another sentence that would ease her brother as much as possible, but her attention was drawn by the funny woman caught in her own world. Fauna let the music take her as she relaxed for the first time since her moment in the piano room. Lady Dimitrescu and her daughter had a lot in common when it came to music, and a little voice in her head replied.
Maybe, if you're careful, she can play the piano again.
And Fauna agreed silently, shoving her shame of beautiful poison down with her tapping pen; matching the beat of the song with each movement. She had to be careful, obviously. Lady Dimitrescu was a wild card when it came to her daughters, it seemed, but despite everything-
SHE LET YOU DROWN! SHE FORCED YOU TO DO A DAMN FIGHT BECAUSE SHE WAS SICK OF YOUR SHIT! DON'T YOU DARE FORGET. THAT. HATE!
Reverberating like thunder, the words cracked against her skull, sinking the music down into her abyssal heart. Compassion was a weakness easily exploited and if she misstepped, Lady Dimitrescu would have her head, regardless of the Cadou.
But the kindness in her grey eyes that softened the yellow glare still remained, haunting her. A monstrous woman of insane strength acted in stark contradiction with every interaction she made with Fauna. Giving her the handkerchief, playing the piano, choking her, stabbing a finger into her wounded leg, plucking her from the river, tossing her a blanket, subtly apologizing for the traumas inflicted, talking to her as an equal.
Warped and strange, each memory blistered Fauna's mind, causing her heart to beat against her ribs. Beautiful poison from a beautiful, cruel woman who knew of love but vehemently denied it.
It was something Fauna understood deeply, more than she was willing to confess.
Sighing, Fauna put the pen down, staring at the unfinished letter as Daniela swirled down from her dance, still humming to the song. Her bugs smoothly landed on Fauna's shoulder, buzzing in a language she couldn't comprehend. Following the trail of wings, Daniela hovered by the desk, tilting her head as she looked at Fauna.
"Thinking up a storm again, Makeup?" she giggled, reaching out an embroidered arm to pat Fauna's head gently, "Give your brain a rest, eh?"
The request was as soft as the leather gloves mussing the human's hair. Though Fauna was not keen on having new people in her life, Daniela's presence was a surprisingly welcome one, even with her incredibly tactile nature.
"I can't."
Holding her breath, Fauna leaned back in the chair before releasing her tension in one swift exhale. Listening to the music, she tried to not think, but her mind kept running, always churning to the point where she couldn't stop daydreaming and brooding.
"Y'know," Daniela started as she glanced at the half-written letter, "If you keep all the bad things in your head, it all goes to shit," twisting her mouth, the youngest Dimitrescu glanced at her shelves, "I learned that the hard way but I also learned how to kinda…uh…let go…a little."
Piquing her interest, Fauna brought her full attention to Daniela, who seemed somewhat skittish, dispensing her former playfulness to build up a swelling anxiety. Fauna says nothing, but there's poorly hidden concern displaying on her features. Clicking her tongue, the youngest Dimitrescu hoists her bugs towards the shelves, floating past the various plaques that lined the polished wood.
"Don't make fun of me, ok," she said with a surprising amount of sternness, "but I have a method that helps me cope with…everything. Especially the things that…I don't really talk about."
Focused on the pages, Daniela scans the plaques till she reaches the furthest cabinet, pressing her finger against the glass to pop it open. A thin stack of pages, wrapped in twine spit out a small cloud of dust, which causes Daniela to cough slightly. Waving her hand to dispel the cloud, she reaches hesitantly into the cabinet, holding the stack of pages with more care than Fauna ever saw her give.
"This is just how I do things, but when you kinda seal away a memory, it makes it just a little easier to deal with. I mean, it's not gone, it still hurts but when I put it here," she taps her thumb on the pages as she levitates downwards, "I can forget about it for a little while. I dunno, I guess it's just me. How I do things."
As she touched the ground, Daniela stepped towards Fauna, holding out the stack of papers with a neurotic gaze that refused to leave her face.
"Don't make fun of me. Please."
Offering the weakness, Daniela looks at Fauna with furrowed eyebrows, the tattoo on her forehead crinkles in response.
And with solemn acceptance, Fauna takes the papers from Daniela's hands, holding them carefully as she was certain -without a doubt- that this was a deeply treasured object.
Daniela watched as Fauna pinched the little bow holding the papers together, loosening the cord before swiping off a bit of dust from the yellowing pages.
On the front, were a few words, written in neat, rounded letters. Daniela's handwriting. Underneath was a small drawing in different penmanship; a man's hand in pink ink holding a gloved hand in green. A story it seemed, and a hurtful one from the looks of the reddish-haired daughter.
Taking a seat on the desk, Daniela observed Fauna, trying her best not to sink back into her damning judgements. It was a weakness, she was told, to hold onto memories of being loved, to hold onto the feeling of opening up.
But with clear disregard, Daniela refused to forget, despite every obstacle standing in her way.
Because once you knew love, there was no going back.
On the page, Fauna scraped her thumb against the paper, staring at the drawing before she read the tale that spurred Daniela's shattering mind to its current state.
The Littlest Princess , it said on the cover and with bolstered compassion, Fauna eyed the first line.
End Note:
Yes! Cliffhanger! Suffer as I am. I'm actually super excited to write that next chapter about Daniela bc Ive been planning it in detail since the day I made this fic!
A bird strike is when birds get sucked into plane engines and I've loved that info for a long time.
The song Daniela plays is We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn
As you can probably tell, I like Daniela as a character to weave my evil little plotlines.
Either way, thanks for reading!
Alternate Scene:
Daniela: *flying way too fast*
Fauna: *drive-by vomits on a maid*
Daniela: BIIIIIIIIRDDDDD STRIIIIIIIKEEE!